Odell Beckham Jr. is officially on the Los Angeles Rams! This signing comes after weeks of Beckham Jr. expressing his disinterest in continuing his career with the Cleveland Browns.
This is the type of signing that is very rare in the NFL. It's not every season you see one of the league's best players switch teams when playing for a playoff contender. It actually happened a few days prior to Odell Beckham Jr.'s release, when Desean Jackson was granted his release from the Rams and signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
We are now in the second half of the season and this is when the grind is going to really start. The Rams are building a Super Bowl contender and it's safe to say they display one of the league's best rosters at this point. You could argue the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do, and there is also another argument that Rams fans won't want to hear. After bringing in Beckham Jr., the Rams still do not have the best receiving corps in the NFL. That honor is going to go to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their dominant receiving weapons.
Top Receiving Corp In NFL
The Rams contain Copper Kupp, who is by far the top receiver in the league this season and is putting up record-breaking numbers through half of the season. Robert Woods, Van Jefferson, and at the time Desean Jackson, are the other names who have produced for the Rams this year. Rookie Tutu Atwell has yet to play a snap for the Rams and is currently on the IR. Even after signing Beckham Jr., that core does not quite stack up to the Buc's core.
Tampa Bay contains Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Tyler Johnson. Scotty Miller has been on the IR since Week 2. Evans and Godwin are both top 10 receivers according to many people. Antonio Brown is still producing numbers like he used to with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tyler Johnson certainly isn't eye-opening to many, but he is quietly producing for the Buccaneers with 14 receptions on the year. That core is dominating the NFL right now and there aren't anything defenses can do about it. Tom Brady at the helm certainly helps their cause.
If both sides are completely healthy, it's really hard to argue against the Buccaneers' receiving core. Let's look at the numbers this season.
Los Angeles Rams
Cooper Kupp: 74 rec, 1016 yards, 10 TD
Robert Woods: 45 rec, 556 yards, 4 TD
Odell Beckham Jr: 17 rec, 232 yards, 0 TD
Van Jefferson: 27 rec, 433 yards, 3 TD
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans: 39 rec, 544 yards, 8 TD
Chris Godwin: 50 rec, 660 yards, 4 TD (1 rush TD)
Antonio Brown: 29 rec, 418 yards, 4 TD
Tyler Johnson: 14 rec, 191 yards, 0 TD
Kupp's numbers are dominating. They are almost double than everyone else in the entire NFL. However, the production from the Bucs' three main guys is more superior to the Rams trio. We all know how good Beckham Jr. is when healthy. We just haven't seen it in quite some time to consider him at an elite level. If we see instant flashes of the Giants version of Beckham Jr., then this argument could be more impactful. But for now, the Buccaneers receiving corp is at the top of the NFL for right now. Especially if they help Brady win another ring in 2021.
